A Demon's Love Part1: Sunrise
by NURSE J0Y
Summary: Takes place right before Naruto leaves to begin his training with Jiraiya. Gaara falls for a cute & mysterious blue haired girl named Ai. Original Character. A bit mature for some language, violence & sexual content. This is my very first fanfic.


Naruto stared up at the ceiling from his hospital bed. The room was quaint and smelled of antiseptic. Sunlight poured in from the open window, warming his bandaged skin. Jiraiya's words kept echoing in his head. He'd be leaving the village tomorrow to begin his training. A wave of excitement overcame him. He was ready.

A curtain obstructed Naruto's view of the hospital bed beside his.

"Hey Gaara!" Naruto called out to his hidden roommate.

A low grunt of acknowledgment came from behind the curtain.

"So… since I'm leaving tomorrow, do you wanna hang out or something?"  
"You'd want to spend your last day in the village with me?" Gaara asked warily.  
"Well sure I do! I mean, you're my friend and all. Let's get outta here and do something!" Naruto shouted across the room.  
"Like what?" Gaara grumbled.  
"I dunno. Umm… we could go to the hot springs, or get a bowl of ramen, or…" Naruto climbed out of bed and snuck under the curtain. He peered up at Gaara with a huge grin. "We could go check out girls!"

Gaara rolled his eyes and turned over in bed. He could still hear Naruto snicker as he pulled the covers over his head.

"Come on!" Naruto whined. "It'll be fun!" He jumped on Gaara's hospital bed and began shaking him. "I know you're not sleeping in there!" He shouted through the covers.

Gaara pulled the covers away from his face and glared at Naruto angrily. "Girls don't like me…" He groaned. "Nobody likes…"

"That's not true!" Naruto interrupted. "I bet you a bowl of ramen I can get you a girlfriend! Believe it!"

Naruto shoved a thumbs up in Gaara's face. Gaara sighed and pushed Naruto off his bed. The boy fell to the floor with a loud thud.

"Fine." Gaara groaned reluctantly as he began removing his bandages.

Naruto sat on the floor rubbing his sore bottom and chuckled.

**xxx**

Naruto popped his collar up as he strutted through town. A huge smile beamed ear to ear. Gaara shoved his hands in his pockets. His eyes fixed on his shoes as he grudgingly dragged his feat in the dirt.

"Naruto, I don't think this is a good idea."

"Nonsense!" Naruto shouted. "Besides, we're here already anyway!"

They stopped a couple feet away from an ice cream parlor. A group of girls giggled and gossiped on the benches near by. A petite blond girl with pigtails gleefully licked at her cone. Gaara licked his dry lips as he watched the melting ice cream drip down the side of the cone and splat on the girl's breasts. His jaw dropped slightly and he began to salivate as the girl's friend dabbed at her plump breasts with a napkin. He quickly snapped himself from his daze and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't think I can do this. Shukaku says…"

"Don't listen to Shukaku!" Naruto interrupted. "You CAN do this! Don't tell me that the most powerful shinobi of the Sand can take on Orochimaru's men, but he can't talk to a little girl!"

Gaara shot Naruto a dirty look. He adjusted his collar and ran his hand through his brick-red hair as he approached the girls.

"Don't forget to smile!" Naruto shouted after him.

Gaara stopped in front of the girls and the giggling ceased. He stood up straight and smiled at the pretty little blond kunoichi.

"Hi. I was wondering if I could…" Gaara began.

"Excuse me!" Her friend interrupted. "Just _what_ do you think you're doing?"  
"I just wanted to…"  
"Ugh. Aren't you that kid that freaked out during the Chunin exams?" Another friend taunted. The little blond began to laugh as Gaara's face turned bright red. The rest of her friends joined in the fun.

"…I…" Gaara closed his eyes in embarrassment and shut out the world.

Naruto barged in to break up their torment. "Now wait a minute!" He shouted. "Gaara's my friend and a really great guy! He's … he's the son of the late Kazekage. You can't talk to him like that!"

"Aren't you that beast boy?" The blond girl sneered. "My mom says I'm not allowed to talk to you. Come on girls." The kunoichis stared Naruto up and down in disapproval as they walked away.

Naruto clenched his fists and stared at the empty bench. How could they be so cruel? He looked over at his friend. Gaara looked peaceful with his arms folded across his chest and his eyes closed, but Naruto knew all too well that on the inside he was crying. Naruto's teeth clenched tight and his fists shook with rage when suddenly a soft voice broke through the darkness.

"Umm… Naruto?" Hinata stammered. "I saw what happened. Are you… um… ok?"

Naruto spun around to face her. He forced a smile and patted her on the shoulder. She blushed and smiled sweetly. She twiddled her fingers and stared down at the dirt. "I heard you were leaving tomorrow and I… um… wanted to tell you…um…"

"HEY!" Naruto interrupted. "You're a girl, right! Would you like to go out with…"

Hinata's pale eyes widened. She stared up at Naruto, hanging on his every word. Her face reddened and her eyelids fluttered. Before he could finish his sentence, her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fainted and fell to the ground.

"Uh, Hinata? You ok?" Naruto crouched down and poked her shoulder. The girl was out cold. Gaara opened one eye to witness the madness and furrowed his brow. "AGH! This is useless!" Naruto shouted. He buried his face in his hands and raked his hands through his hair. "I have a headache. Let's just go to the hot springs and forget this ever happened!" Naruto stormed off with Gaara in pursuit, leaving Hinata to dream.

**xxx**

"Now this is more like it!" Naruto sighed as he submerged himself in the steaming hot water. "Hey, you coming in?"  
"I don't like the water." Gaara groaned. "I get soggy."  
"Suit yourself!" Naruto teased as he placed a wash cloth over his eyes and began to unwind.

Gaara sat against the fence dividing the men's and women's pools. He rested his head against the wooden planks and sighed. The sound of crickets and trickling water drowned out the constant banter of Shukaku. He felt at peace and smiled as he closed his weary eyes.

_SPLASH!_

Gaara jumped and turned his head towards the women's pool. A lone giggle beckoned him.

"_LOOK! LOOK! LOOK!_" Shukaku demanded. Gaara willingly obeyed. He pressed two fingers to his eye and performed the jutsu. His third eye emerged and floated over the fence to sneak a peak at his temptress.

She was beautiful. Silky blue hair cascaded down her shoulders and formed wet ringlets around her soft pale breasts. Her pink cheeks puffed as she took a deep breath and dunked below the water. She popped up with a splash and giggled as she whipped her wet hair back making her supple breasts jiggle. Wiping the water from her face, she opened her eyes. Gaara's heart jumped within his chest. It was as if she was staring right at him with her pale blue eyes. No one else was in the pool with her. No one to ruin this moment he was sharing with her.

Gaara glanced over at Naruto. He was still relaxing in the water, his back to Gaara with a washcloth over his face. No one else was around to notice as he slowly slipped his free hand inside his bath robe. He continued watching her bounce up and down in the water as he firmly stroked his manhood.

Shukaku screamed at him to break down the fence. To catch her. To mount her. To make her SCREAM!

Gaara squeezed himself tightly until it hurt as greatly as his heart did, silencing Shukaku. He tilted his head back and stifled a moan of pleasure as he released his grip, letting the blood rush back into his swollen member.

The girl stepped out of the water and began drying off. Gaara watched eagerly as she lifted her leg and ran the towel over her thigh, moving upward towards her tiny pink slit. Her wet body shimmered in the sunlight. He grew increasingly jealous of every little water droplet dripping down her skin, caressing her perfect body.

Shukaku begged him for blood. Taste her flesh. _FUCK HER!_

Gaara bit his lip as he tightened his grasp. He was masturbating furiously now. He arched his back against the wall as he approached climax.

"Ummm Gaara? What are you doing?" Naruto was standing over him.

"FUCK!" Gaara groaned through clenched teeth. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a deep gravely grunt as he shot his load inside his robe. His body convulsed one last time as he released his tight grip.

"You're worse than Pervy Sage, you know that!" Naruto scolded. "Just who were you looking at anyway?" Naruto peered through the slats into the empty pool.

Gaara wiped his hand on his robe. His hand was shaking and his knuckles were white. "That girl with the blue hair." He confessed shamefully.

Naruto slowly turned to face Gaara. His face was white. "There's nobody in there… I'm … the only one here."

"That's because she just left." Gaara groaned. His expression quickly turned from embarrassment to rage. "Wait! Do you think I was looking at YOU!"

Naruto tightened his robe and grinned sheepishly. "It's not that I'm not flattered… it's just … I don't swing that way."

Gaara stood up abruptly and grabbed Naruto's hand. "I'll prove it to you!" He shouted angrily.

"Ewwwww… your hand's still wet!" Naruto squealed as Gaara dragged him into the pool house.

They marched past the lockers and straight into the lobby. A petite blue-haired girl in a pink kimono was just leaving.

"WAIT!" Gaara shouted after her.

The girl quickly spun around. Her eyes widened and her face flushed as she clutched at her dress. She moved her eyes from left to right, scanning the room for anyone else. "Are you… are you talking to me?" She whimpered softly.

"Were you just in the pool?" Gaara demanded.

The girl nodded shyly.

"HA!" Gaara exclaimed. "I told you!" He happily turned to face Naruto who was hiding in the hallway.

"Were you… were you _watching_ me?" The girl's demeanor quickly changed from passive to aggressive. She clenched her fists and curled her lip as she stormed across the lobby towards Gaara.

"Oh shit." Gaara murmured still staring at Naruto. "NO! No I wasn't!" He cried.

"Oh yes he was." Naruto laughed as he watched her raise her fist above her head.

Gaara flinched. He cowered and closed his eyes waiting for impact.

He opened an eye to catch her giggling at him. His heart sank. She too was laughing at him just like the girls at the ice cream parlor. He took a deep breath and sadly looked her in the eye. "What's so funny?"

She reached up to brush the hair from his forehead. "Love." She proclaimed.

Gaara starred at her quizzingly. What just happened? She touched him. Why would she do that?

She touched his tattoo with her soft fingertips. "Your tattoo says Ai." She giggled.

"Y-yeah…" Gaara stuttered. She stared up at him with her sparkling blue eyes, her soft fingers still dancing across his harsh skin.

She pulled her hand back and smiled. "I should really go home and wash up. Would you like to grab a cup of tea with me afterwards?" She twisted a lock of hair around her little fingers, eagerly awaiting his answer.

"Y-yeah…"

"Good! See you again soon." She beamed.

Gaara longed for her. He watched hopelessly as she made her way to the door.

"WAIT!" He cried out after her. "What's your name?"

She spun around once more and smiled. "Ai!" The door softly closed behind her.

"Ai." Gaara repeated softly

**xxx**

Gaara sat quietly in the corner of the tea house awaiting his date. Naruto sat across from him and smiled ear to ear. "Looks like I owe you a bowl of ramen!" He laughed.

"Naruto, I don't think I can go through with this." Gaara sighed. He cradled his head in his hands and stared down at the table. "Shukaku just won't shut up!"

A waitress stopped by their table and dropped off two cups of tea and a jar of honey. Naruto smiled at her and nodded in gratitude as she hurried back to the kitchen. He got up from his seat and made his way around the table towards his distressed friend. "I told you. Don't listen to Shukaku. That's not who you are anymore. You're in control now." He placed a hand on Gaara's shoulder and smiled. "You'll be fine! Look, here she comes now!"

Naruto performed the jutsu and transformed into the waitress as the girl ducked under the flag overhang and made her way towards the table. "I'll be over there if you need me." He said sweetly from within his disguise.

Gaara looked up from the table to watch her walk across the room. She was radiant. Her long kimono was the color of the sun. The golden silky material swayed as she walked making the pink cherry blossoms that adorned it look as if they were blowing in the breeze. Gaara looked himself over. His dark red and brown outfit fit in with the shadows and darkness of the tea house.

She made her way around the table and sat down beside him. "Hi!" Ai said softly with a sweet smile.

"Hi." Gaara replied. "You look…"  
"_DELICIOUS!_" Shukaku screamed inside his head.  
"…lovely." Gaara finished. "I got you some tea. I hope you like it." Gaara raised his cup to his lips to take a sip. He let the cup linger, hiding his face.

Ai reached across the table and grabbed the honey jar. She took her spoon and swirled a huge glob into her tea. "I like it sweet!" She giggled. The girl closed her eyes as she pursed her lips and took a sip.

Gaara smiled from behind his cup. Her skin looked so soft. It was the color of fresh milk. He just wanted to… "_TEAR HER APART!_" Gaara put his tea down and reached inside his pouch for a kunai knife. He wrapped his hand around the blade and squeezed as hard as he could. Hearing the crackling of sand, he knew that he had broken his defenses. Shukaku would never allow him the simple pleasures of love and happiness. The only thing it understood was loneliness and pain. _I'll give him pain_, Gaara thought as the blade entered his skin. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as his head cleared and became silent.

"What are you doing!" Ai shrieked. She grabbed Gaara's bloody hand and quickly wrapped it in her napkin. "Silly boy. You grab a knife by the handle, not the blade!" She giggled and raised his hand to her face. Her lips pressed against his bandaged wound. "There. All better!"

Gaara stared at her in shock. She was still holding his hand. Why didn't she run away screaming? He looked down at his hand in hers. "I didn't mean to." He murmured. "Shukaku…"

"What's a Shukaku?" Ai asked, her eyes wide with wonder.  
"It's… it's the one tailed beast that lives inside of me." Gaara sighed. He pulled his hand from hers and clutched his chest. "I'm a … demon."

The girl's eyes grew wider. She raised her hands to her mouth. He waited for her to cry out, but only laughter escaped her lips. Ai took his hands in hers and pulled him closer. Her face hovered mere inches from his as if she were examining him. She cocked her head to the side and smiled. "You don't look like a demon to me!"

"NO, really! I'm a demon. I could _hurt_ you!" He pleaded. "Don't you remember the Chunin exams? That was me that went berserk! It's all my fault!" Ai stared at him silently. Gaara stared back desperately. _Please say something_, he thought.

"That was you?" Ai asked quietly. Gaara nodded and moved his eyes to the ground. "Your jutsu is amazing!" She squealed. "Can I see?" She begged. "Please!"

Gaara jumped. His eyes snapped back to hers. _Is she insane! She didn't listen to a word I just said_. "Sure." Gaara replied. "Umm…hold out your hands." He popped the cork off his gourd and a steady stream of sand came pouring out into her tiny hands. She sat up straight and held her hands in front of her face, examining the sand. "Now what?" She asked.

Gaara picked up his hand and outstretched his index finger, making his sand jump within the palms of her hands. With his finger, he traced patterns and shapes in the air. The sand followed his every movement. Ai giggled in amazement as she watched sandy stars and hearts bounce and swirl within her hands. "It's so beautiful." She laughed. Gaara smiled and ordered his sand back into the gourd.

"What kind of jutsu do you do?" Gaara asked as he took another sip of his tea. The girl sat silently for a moment. Her gaze shifted towards the table as she searched for the words. "Taijutsu mostly. You see, I'm … forbidden from using my kekkei genkai." She said softly.  
"Forbidden?" Gaara asked.  
"Yeah. The Jikoku clan is forbidden from using the Timugan." She sighed. "My father used to tell me this story when I was little." Ai moved in closer and rested her head on Gaara's shoulder. His body stiffened nervously momentarily and then relaxed as he inhaled her perfumed skin. He tried hard to concentrate on her words as she began her story.

"Back when the hidden villages were forming, there was one village competing to become sixth. It was ruled by a great feudal lord, Lord Daichi, and his twin sons, Princes Yoshi and Yuji. On his deathbed, Lord Daichi named Yuji to be his successor. This filled Yoshi with rage. Once his father passed and his brother became ruler, he used his Timugan to slaughter the entire village. A whole village literally gone within the blink of an eye. All except his brother, Yuji. As the story goes, Yoshi confronted Yuji, his sword still wet with the blood of his people and exclaimed "Enjoy being king of the dead." He then plunged his sword into his chest, leaving Lord Yuji the ruler of nothing. A whole nation gone because of the Timugan's power. Yuji sought homage in the Leaf and made sure that any children born to the Jikoku clan have their powers sealed. That's at least what my father would tell me, anyway."

Ai sat up and pointed to her back. "I'm sure you noticed my markings as you were watching me in the pool!" She giggled uncomfortably. "My seal keeps me from harnessing enough chakra to use most jutsu as well as my kekkei genkai. But it's just not fair that I have to be punished for something my ancestor did!"

"If it makes you upset, why don't you just have it removed?" Gaara asked.  
"I would but… it can only be removed by a Jikoku, and well…I'm the last of my clan."  
"I'm sorry." Gaara said softly. Her eyes look so cheerful and untainted by the pain of loneliness, he thought. She was alone like he once was, and yet so very different.  
"Don't be." Ai giggled and forced a smile. "I hardly remember my parents at all. It's all… fuzzy." She finished off the rest of her tea and squeezed his hand. "Thanks for listening." She said softly as she leaned in and kissed Gaara's cheek. Her lips were soft and warm against his skin. Blood rushed to Gaara's face and he felt his cheeks grow hot.

_KISS HER BACK!_ Was that Shukaku yelling or himself?

"I'll get you more tea." He announced and abruptly sat up and made his way towards the kitchen.

"Naruto?" Gaara asked as he grabbed the waitress' arm. She shot him a dirty look and walked away in a huff. "My apologies ma'am." He cursed under his breath as he scanned the tea house for his friend. Naruto sat in the opposite corner, chuckling.

Gaara knelt down beside the table and looked up at his friend. "Looks like everything is going well, what's wrong?" Naruto asked.

"I … she… kissed me!" Gaara whispered. "What should I do?"  
"Well, you kiss her back!" Naruto laughed.

_Could it really be that simple?_ Gaara thought. Were those thoughts actually his own? He took a deep breath and stood up from his hiding position. He looked over to his table, but his date was no longer there. She stayed longer than he had thought, but in the end she had finally run away.

"Hey Gaara? Where's your date?" Naruto leaned his body against the table, scanning the room.

"She probably took my leaving as an opportunity to escape." Gaara confessed with a sigh. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned his back against the table.

Naruto slammed his hands down on the table and stood up abruptly. Everyone in the tea house stopped and stared at the boy. "There's no way. There's just no way!" He shouted as he made his way towards the empty table. Gaara grudgingly followed suit. "Look, it's ok Naruto. Let's just go." He pleaded.

"No. I just don't get it!" Naruto yelled as he looked the table over. "Why didn't she leave a note or something?"

Gaara sighed and reached to pick up his gourd. _What's this?_ Gaara thought as he reached down and touched a small red droplet on the ground. _It's blood!_ He looked down at his injured hand. It wasn't his own. Gaara stood up and looked the room over. Happy people went about their conversations. Had she been hurt or kidnapped? Someone surely would have noticed a struggle. He looked down once more and noticed another droplet, and another. He followed them outside and began walking down the road.

"HEY!" Naruto shouted after him. "Wait for me!" He crawled out from under the table and hurried after Gaara. "Just where do you think you're going?"

"Look." Gaara replied. He pointed to another tiny blood droplet in the dirt. It was so small you wouldn't notice it unless you were looking for it. The two of them continued following the trail, past the road, past the front gate and into the woods.

"I don't get it." Naruto said quietly. "Why would she leave the village?"

Gaara didn't reply, his concentration was solely on finding her. He jumped into the trees and leaped branch to branch.

_She must have been abducted_, Gaara thought. _But why? And how? The tea house was full of people, and yet no one witnessed anything._ He didn't even sense her leave. His eyes widened. There was someone just up ahead. Whoever he was had stopped and was waiting for them. Gaara stopped short and threw his arm out in front of Naruto. He placed a finger to his lips and began to whisper to his friend.

"I know someone's up there!" A strange voice came from down below.

_SHIT! How could I be so careless!_ Gaara thought.

"No use hiding!" The voice continued. "Don't make me come up there!"

Gaara and Naruto looked at each other and nodded. They jumped down from the trees and confronted the stranger.

The tall stranger couldn't be much older than they were. He was skinny with spiky electric blue hair. Huge ski goggles concealed his eyes and most of his face. He wore a black cloak with bright red clouds. An evil grin reached ear to ear as he unbuttoned his cloak and produced a large sword. "I've come for the girl. Nothing more. Leave now." He said slyly. Ai was draped over his shoulder. Gaara struggled to see her face. A small droplet of blood splat on the ground below.

"Who are you and what do you want with Ai?" Gaara growled. He clenched his fists tightly as he folded his arms defiantly across his chest.

"Me?" The stranger laid the girl on the forest floor and took a step forward. "I'm none of your concern. Not now at least. I take it you haven't seen the Akatsuki before. Well, we've certainly been watching you!" He laughed.

Naruto's fists were shaking. He clenched his teeth and narrowed his gaze. He remembered his battle with Itachi and Kisame. The thought of Orochimaru and Sasuke hammered in his head.

"My brothers would sure love it if I brought you back with me. Two birds, or should I say Jinchurikis with one stone! It's too good to be true!" He laughed. His mood turned serious. "But you're not why I'm here. I've only come for the girl. I have waited far too long for this and you're not getting in my way." He unsheathed his sword and held it forward. "Last chance. I won't kill you, but I don't see the harm in slicing you up a bit!"

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Naruto yelled. 20 clones appeared and surrounded the Akatsuki stranger. Gaara dug his heals in the dirt and outstretched his arms. A blast of sand spurted from his gourd and quickly flew through the air towards the enemy.

The Akatski stranger laughed and made a hand seal.

Gaara's sand froze in mid air, mere inches from the stranger's body. _Why doesn't it obey me?_ He thought. _Wait… I can't move!_ Gaara went to open his mouth, but it was frozen as well.

"Nope, nope, nope…" The stranger sang as he gleefully poked at Naruto's frozen clones, popping them like balloons with his sword. A puff of smoke burst in the air with each one. "Ah, there you are!" He exclaimed as his sword pierced the real Naruto's skin. The cold metal slid through Naruto like a hot knife through butter and yet the boy couldn't scream. A stream of blood ran down his orange suit.

_What kind of jutsu is this!_ Gaara thought. _I can't do anything! I can only watch as he… Ai!_ He could see her out of the corner of his eye as she struggled to get up. _Run away! RUN!_ He shouted to her in his head.

Ai got to her feet and steadied herself. She tore off her cumbersome kimono revealing black shorts and a black tank top with a skin-tight armored mesh shirt. A small katana was strapped to her thigh. The stranger was too busy stabbing Naruto to notice as she completed a series of hand seals and pulled the sword from it's case.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you!" The Akatsuki stranger directed his attention to Gaara. He placed the blade up to Gaara's cheek and dragged it along his skin. "You got some tough skin!" The stranger continued. "Don't worry, I've got all the time in the world to break you!" He laughed sadistically as he raised his sword above his head.

Ai grasped her sword in both hands and raised it above her head. With all her strength, she jammed the sword's edge into her own shoulder blade. She screamed out in horrifying agony and dropped to her knees.

The Akatsuki stranger dropped his sword and spun around. Gaara wanted to look away, but couldn't. Blood spurted across the forest floor. The scent of her sweet metallic blood lingered in the air. The sword still in her hand, she twisted the blade. A sickening pop rang out through the quiet forest as she dislocated her arm.

"What the fuck are you doing Ai!" The stranger screamed and rushed over to her.

She removed the blade from her socket and pointed it at him. "You stay the fuck away from me. You're the asshole that killed my parents! Have you come back to finish me off?" She screamed. "Well, I won't let you!" She dropped her weapon and grabbed her dislocated arm and pressed it against the seal on her back.

"You're going to go in to shock! Stop this Ai!" The stranger pleaded. He raised his arms and backed away from her. "I'm not here to hurt you, dammit!"

Blood oozing from her open wound, Ai began chanting and rocking back and forth. Fire grew within her eyes as she took to her feet and finished her mantra. The world around them seemed to darken as her eyes grew brighter and brighter until they were as golden and luminous as the sun. She grabbed her dislocated arm and popped it back in to place. A trickle of crimson blood ran down her chin as she bit her lip, resisting the urge to scream again.

The girl took a step forward, then another. The grassy earth beneath her feet cracked and died with each step. _Is this the Timugan she spoke of? Her jutsu is terrifying._ Gaara thought as he watched her approach the Akatsuki stranger.

"Everything has it's time and place." Ai muttered beneath her breath. She outstretched her arms and the trees around her shriveled with age and turned to dust. "In the end, everything dies." Her eyes narrowed as she pointed a bloody finger at her opponent. "Your time is up."

"I can't take you with me like this. You won't survive the journey." The stranger said. A tinge of sadness hung to his words. "I promise I'll be back for you my princess." He turned his gaze towards Gaara. "Help her." With those parting words he vanished before their eyes.

The stranger's jutsu was broken. Gaara's sand rained down from the sky and Naruto dropped to the ground, clutching his side.

"Are you ok?" Gaara desperately asked his wounded friend.

"I'll be fine." Naruto answered through gritted teeth. "Go help her."

Gaara turned his attention back towards Ai. She faced away from him, staring out into the empty woods. Her blood shimmered in the shards of sunlight that pierced through the treetops. A red handprint was smeared across her now bare back, no longer adorned by the seal. Her breathing grew heavy and her body began to shiver. Gaara lunged forward just in time to catch her fall and cradled her limp body in his arms.

**xxx**

Gaara sat Indian style at the end of Ai's hospital bed. He rested his head in his hands and watched her chest heave up and down. It had taken a while, but her breathing had finally returned to normal. He had sat there all night watching over her as she slept.

"Can you hear me?" Gaara whispered. The girl remained motionless. "You lost a lot of blood and depleted your chakra, but the doctors say you'll be just fine." Gaara continued. "Actually, they're rather shocked you were able to break your own seal and have enough fight left in you before you passed out."

"_KISS HER!_" A voice shouted from deep within him. Was it Shukaku or his own? He didn't care.

Gaara slowly got on all fours and carefully crawled on top of her. Straddling her sleeping body, his heart began beating wildly. His chest grazed hers with every heavy breath he took. Letting his face hover dangerously close to hers, he watched her as she dreamed. Her eyelids fluttered. Can she sense him near? She smelled of mandarin oranges. Gaara smiled and closed his eyes, letting the sweet intoxication consume him. He puckered his lips and moved in for the kiss.

"GAARA!" A voice shrieked from the doorway.

Gaara's eyes snapped open and he quickly turned his head towards the intruders. Temari and Kankuro stood in the darkened doorway, eyes wide.

"Just what do you think you're doing!" Temari scolded. "Get OFF her!"

Kankuro crooked an eyebrow, his eyes still wide with shock. "Whoa…"

Gaara eased himself out of Ai's bed and shifted his eyes towards the floor. "I just wanted to … never mind." He grumbled quietly.

"We've been looking all over for you, little brother." Kankuro said. "We're not interrupting anything, are we?" He laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"It's time to go, Gaara." Temari demanded.

"Can I…can I say goodbye." Gaara pleaded.

Temari muttered and shook her head, walking back into the bright hallway. Kankuro crooked a smile and nodded for him to go ahead.

Gaara knelt down by Ai's bedside. His hand trembled as he brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. "I have to go now, but I promise to be back soon, ok?" He smiled softly as he stood up and made his way towards his older brother.

Kankuro threw an arm around his little brother's shoulders and held out his pinky finger. "Never thought I'd see the day. When were you gonna tell me you got a girlfriend!" Kankuro joked. "Guess it's about time we had "the talk." Now you see there's the birds and the bees…"

Gaara threw his head back and groaned in disgust as the three of them made their way into the bright sunlight.

* * *

**_My first fanfic EVER, so I'm sorry if it sucks. I promise I've gotten much, MUCH better!_**  
**_Please continue on to Part 2 and then Part 3 of Gaara & Ai's story! Read & review and I'll give you a COOKIE!_****_ Om, nom, nom! :D Moar drama, fluff, lemon and romance ahead!_**

**_OH! And FYI. Ai is my OC. Her kekkei genkai is the Timugan. A blood trait passed down within the once royal Jikoku clan. It makes her eyes shine bright like the sun and gives her the ability to control time. She can stop time and travel within either small or great distances and then start time back up to make it appear as if she teleported. Sh__e can also speed time up to make objects and living things age rapidly and disintegrate/turn to dust/die/etc. This is known as her Time Transfer Jutsu, which we got a taste of here when she made the trees and ground beneath her feet die, but we'll see more of that later on._**


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